


it's all up in the stars

by bugmadoo



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Pillow Talk, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 13:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13147365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bugmadoo/pseuds/bugmadoo
Summary: Christmas 2018. Robert and Aaron have their own little celebration.





	it's all up in the stars

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Robron Secret Santa 2017 and specifically for the wonderful Colette!! Merry Christmas again!
> 
> Title from Stars by fun. Enjoy!

There’s no snow on the ground for this year’s Christmas but Robert still keeps his eyes on the floor as he makes his way from Wishing Well to the Mill. It’s bitterly cold, too cold for snow, which means the roads have patches of ice here and there, slippery and dangerous. Robert does his best to navigate through them as fast as possible because he doesn’t know how much time he has until Aaron decides to come home.

They haven’t had much time for each other lately and the fact grates on him even though it’s neither his nor Aaron’s fault, not really. Work has gotten on top of them and even though things between them are fine and they were looking forward to the holidays for a bit of free time together, Robert feels like he needs to make up for it. If he had told Aaron any of this, he probably would have called him mad, so Robert decided to turn it into a surprise. Liv is spending the evening with the Thomases so all he has to do now is set everything up.

It’s been surprisingly easy for Robert to excuse himself from the Dingle Christmas celebrations early and he keeps throwing glances behind him to check that Aaron hasn’t decided to follow him after all. He throws one last glance when he stops in front of the entrance of the Mill.

It’s nice and warm inside but Robert resists the habit of taking off his coat and scarf and walks towards the back door of the Mill, the one that leads to their back garden. Taking a step outside, he looks up at the sky and takes in the numerous stars twinkling, not a cloud in sight. He internally thanks the weather for not ruining his plans, closes the door again and walks up the staircase into the upper floor of the Mill.

He walks into the spare bedroom and as always tries to ignore the terror that reigns in there. It used to be empty but over the course of a year of living here, Liv and Aaron managed to fill it with clutter and things they have no use for right now, and every time Robert opens the door there seems to be more things in there than he last time. He closes the door behind him and is glad to find that the spare mattress is still leaning against the wall where he last saw it. He grabs it and tries not to wince at the sound of something falling over as he leaves the room again, and carries it downstairs and outside. The next time he walks upstairs he gets all the spare blanket and pillows he can carry and for a reason that Robert doesn’t know they have more of those than three people living in one house should.

When he’s done he checked his watch and sends another glance up to the sky. He doesn’t know how long it’ll be until Aaron is back, and he might be warm now from walking up and down the stairs constantly but it’s cold enough outside that he knows it won’t stay that way for long. Even the blankets he got won’t keep them warm for long. He sneaks into Liv’s room and opens the right door of the closet and there at the bottom are two hot water bottles Robert gave her when it became unexpectedly cold back in September. Liv claims she has no use for them but Robert knows she uses both at the same time in winter because she likes her bed more than warm.

He’s filling up the second hot water bottle when he hears his name being called from downstairs. Right on time.

“Coming!”

Robert screws the bottle closed and grabs the other one before making his way downstairs. Aaron swings his head around, taking off his jacket.

“Does Liv know you’re using them?”

“I think you know the answer to that question.”

Aaron chuckles. “What d’you need them for, anyway?”

“Put your jacket back on and I’ll show you.”

“Show me what.”

“Telling you would kind of defeat the purpose of showing you, wouldn’t it?”

Aaron looks irritated but does what Robert wants him to. Robert nods at Aaron to follow him and together they walk into the garden of their house. For a split second, Robert regrets walking in front of Aaron because he can’t see his reaction to the pile of blankets on the ground. Admittedly, it might seem strange since he doesn’t have the full context.

Robert pulls back the two of the blanket and puts the hot water bottles before he sits down on the mattress and blankets pile and looks up at Aaron. Taking off his shoes, he waits for Aaron to speak.

“What on earth are we doing out here?”

“What does it look like we’re doing?”

“I’m not sleeping with you out here, just so you know.”

“I thought you were exhibitionist out of the two of us?”

“I didn’t mean –“ Aaron throws his head back and looks up as if praying for strength to deal with Robert. Robert can’t help how amused he is by Aaron’s frustration. It makes him look cute, not that Robert would ever say that out loud for fear of a divorce.

Now that he’s got both his shoes off, he scoots back and settles on the right side of the bed like he usually would and pats the spot next to him. “I know that’s not what you meant.”

“Is this what Liv’s hot water bottles were for?”

Robert nods and crosses his hands behind his head. Aaron stares at him looking much too undecided for Robert’s tastes.

“You coming or what?”

“Depends on how good you are, dunnit?”

Robert laughs. “Well, come here then so you can find out.”

Aaron tilts his head as if he’s acknowledging that Robert has a point without wanting to admit to it out loud. He sits down, gets his shoes off as well, then grabs a hot water bottle and puts it down on the foot of the blanket covered mattress before he pulls the two top blankets up over them, and settles in.

“Now would be the time to explain why you thought this was a good idea,” Aaron says, scooting closer to Robert, laying his head on Robert’s outstretched upper arm, using it as a pillow.

Robert looks up at the sky, moving his feet so they’re closer to the hot bottle down there. “I just thought I’d do something for just the two of us. Haven’t seen much of you lately.”

“The scrapyard is only getting back on its feet-“ Aaron starts, but Robert interrupts him.

“I know and I get that, don’t worry.” He turns his head and places a kiss on Aaron’s forehead. “Just wanted to spend some uninterrupted time with you.”

Aaron hums skeptically before he answers. “So you thought we could look at the stars. Outside. In the middle of winter.”

“Well, you can’t deny it’s pretty.”

Out of the corner of his eye Robert sees Aaron turn his head and together they look at the clear sky, shining and twinkling like a backlit canape with tiny holes punched in it.

The village is as quiet as you would expect on the evening of Christmas day. The back garden of the Mill is smaller than the one in the front but there are bushes growing high, giving them privacy and silence. It’s quiet and serene and they’re still warm under the blanket so Robert doesn’t mind the occasional wind that brushes past. Aaron is his antidote to the cold like he’s his antidote to many things.

“Did you have a good Christmas?” Robert asks.

“Hasn’t ended yet, has it?” Aaron answers and Robert can hear the smile in his voice.

“Well, how has it been so far then?”

Aaron moves his head from side to side as if pondering about the answer to that question and Robert moves his free hand to Aaron’s waist, trying to tickle him. It doesn’t really work through all the layers that Aaron is wearing and he probably expect it as well so it’s easy for him to hold Robert’s wrist down in a stead grip and roll on top of him.

Heat curls in Robert’s chest. He meets Aaron’s eyes, illuminated by the light that’s coming from inside their house. He’s looked at it a million times but Robert doesn’t think that even another million wore would never be enough. Aaron leans down, but stops just millimeters before their lips connect.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Aaron says and kisses the smile from Robert’s mouth with a searing heat that evaporates the breath from Robert’s lungs and leaves his brain buzzing happily. As Aaron’s tongue pushes into his mouth and his hand rests hot and heavy over Robert’s wrist, he slowly sinks further down, pressing his chest against Robert’s, Aaron’s weight bearing them both down into the makeshift bed. Despite the layers of clothing, Robert knows how hot Aaron’s body feels like right now, feels it in the tip of his fingers as he feels Aaron lets up the pressure against his wrists and Robert frees himself, wrapping one arm around Aaron’s waist and gripping the back of Aaron’s head with the other.

Robert’s brain fritzes out for some time, overwhelmed with the achingly wonderful weight of Aaron on top of him, the almost implausible heat setting fire to his skin, and the possessive crush of his mouth, kissing until Robert’s lips feel sore and bruised in the best way. Aaron can kiss like kissing is the only thing keeping him sane and the only air Robert ever wants to breathe is air traded from Aaron’s lungs.

Slowly, Robert loses his grip around Aaron’s waist and lets his hand wander further down, finding the rough fabric of the jeans Aaron is wearing. Robert thinks about resting his hand on Aaron’s arse but he doesn’t stop and instead tries to find more of Aaron’s skin. It takes him an irritating amount of time until he fiddles his way through all the layers and his fingers touch the warm skin of Aaron’s hips.

“It’s weird doing this with so many clothes on,” Robert murmurs against Aaron’s lips.

It makes Aaron laugh and it’s a laugh that’s contagious, eyes wrinkling, breaths turning into white mist, their breaths mixing against the cold air.

Aaron rests his forehead against Robert’s shoulder for a moment before he rolls off him and Robert immediately misses his warmth. Robert does the next best thing and finds Aaron’s hand under the blanket and tangles their fingers together.

The stars are shining down on them again, looking exactly as they did before, even though Robert thinks they shouldn’t. He turns his head towards Aaron and finds him already looking back at him, eyes warm and soft and honest. Turning the rest of his body to the side, he adjusts the blankets around them again and with his free hand he cups Aaron’s cheek.

“You didn’t answer my question before,” Robert notes. Aaron raises his eyebrows in question. “About your Christmas.”

Aaron smiles before he answers. “It’s pretty pretty good so far.”

“Only pretty good?”

“Maybe even great.”

“Great, huh?”

“Don’t push it, Robert.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Yeah, sounds like you.”

Robert huffs a laugh and he can’t help but kiss Aaron again, short and sweet, his thumb rubbing over Aaron’s cheekbone.

“How was your Christmas so far?” Aaron asks him.

“The best one I’ve ever had,” Robert says without having to think of the answer for very long.

Aaron looks slightly surprised. “Really?”

Robert breathes deeply before he answers. “Well, it’s definitely miles better than last year.”

He meant for it to come off funny but Aaron looks worried more than anything. Robert regrets bringing it up now. He looks down on the blanket between them, squeezing Aaron’s fingers between his.

“Robert, you know-“

“Let’s not talk about it. Not tonight.”

Aaron looks like he’s searching Robert’s face for the answer to whatever he wanted to say and Robert hopes he finds it.

“You’re here with me this year,” Aaron says. Quiet, calm.

It makes Robert smile. “Yeah.”

“It’s all that matters, innit?”

Robert nods and Aaron kisses him again. When their lips connect, Robert feels that both their lips are starting to get cold from being outside so long, but the heat they create between them is enough to chase it away.

Aaron looks at him fondly when they part and Robert can’t help but mirror it. He feels comfortable in a way only Aaron can ever make him feel and he revels in it, closes his eyes for a moment and memorises it.

When he opens his eyes again, Aaron is right there, looking back.

“Merry Christmas, Aaron,” Robert says.

“Merry Christmas, Robert,” Aaron replies, grinning and Robert doesn’t waste any time kissing it off his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas everybody!! Thanks for reading, let me know what you think! 
> 
> [isaacdingle.tumblr.com](http://isaacdingle.tumblr.com)


End file.
